Coffee Roasting

The most obvious change when coffee is roasted is in the color. The bean moves along a scale from green to varying shades of brown to near black. Underneath the surface a number of other changes are occurring. One of which is Pyrolysis, a process were the acids and sugars in coffee begin to break down. Another is the process of reconstituting the sugars and acids called the Maillard Reactions.

Coffee roasting consists of a balance of right-handed timing and intuition; it is an art that flows through the rigidity of time and temperature, but yields to the organic nature of craft. The green beans go through a metamorphosis in the hands of roasters who guide them through a constant evaluation of colors, aromas, sounds, and shapes. Finally, the beans are released out into the world when sweetness and nuances meet up in cooling trays.